Marketing and practice development tips for estate planning and elder law attorneys.

Mobile Marketing

March 31, 2015

As you may have read, Google has announced that starting April 21 their algorithms will shift to favor websites with mobile-friendly designs. While any of our Essential Clients’ websites will show up on any device regardless of mobile optimization, there are two ways to go about creating a website that is optimized for mobile (which is what Google likes).

Mobile Website

The first way to create a mobile-friendly website is to create a separate site just for mobile. With this option, we create a completely separate set of code and include a script that tells browsers to display this set of code on a smartphone, and the desktop set of code on all other devices. The mobile site is indicated by “m.” at the beginning of the URL instead of the “www.”

Pros:

User Experience - This way of coding allows us to focus on making sure that the mobile version of the site works well on phones. Buttons are large and easy to click and the menu is simplified for easy navigating.

Speed – For mobile sites, we remove most of the images from the desktop website to allow more space for text and buttons. With fewer images and animations, the site loads faster, which is great for mobile users.

Cons:

More maintenance – A separate code set means that any time you make an update to your desktop site, the edit must be made separately to the mobile site. We do use a service that is meant to sync any changes to the desktop site with the mobile site, but sometimes that doesn’t always happen smoothly.

Lack of features – The mobile sites we create cannot support the same level of graphics, animations and features that the desktop sites create. This often means that mobile users are not having the same experience on your site as desktop users.

Responsive Web Design

The second way to create a mobile-friendly website is to make your website responsive. Unlike a mobile website, a responsive design uses one set of code, regardless of device. With this option, you only have one website.

Pros:

Single website – Having a single website makes maintenance much quicker and easier. You also ensure that your users have the same experience on your website, regardless of how they view it.

High Tech – Responsive websites use the most up-to-date coding techniques. Because of their fluid layouts, responsive websites are more “future-proof” meaning that they will look good on a wide variety of devices, even as smartphones get bigger and bigger.

Cons:

User Experience – Having a responsive website presents the challenge of always presenting the appropriate information to the appropriate audience. For example, more mobile users are going to want easier access to your phone number than desktop users.

More complicated coding – With one site meant to work across more devices, the coding gets a little more complicated. Exceptions and cases must be made for different devices to ensure a smooth experience across all platforms.

While I believe that the current best practice is to use responsive design, a mobile site can still be a good option. If you haven’t already, consider which option is the best solution for your firm. Then give us a call!

March 18, 2015

Our clients often ask about choosing a font for their website. With all of the options available and factors involved, choosing an appropriate font really becomes an art form!

Here are some factors to consider when choosing a font:

The font needs to be web-safe. By default, websites try to use fonts that are installed on your individual computer. But you can’t be sure that the font options on your computer are exactly the same as they are on mine or on your clients’ computers. The most common way of overcoming this issue currently is to use fonts hosted on external sites that we can link to. Make sure the font you have in mind is available.

Will you be adding custom printed marketing piecesin addition to your online marketing tools? If yes, choose a font with licensing for both print and web use.

How old is your target audience? There are fonts specifically designed to be easier to read on screens, which are a good choice for a more senior audience. For younger audiences, be sure to pick a font that scales well for mobile devices.

How much text will there be? Certain types of fonts are better for headings than for long paragraphs of text, and vice versa. Be sure to pick a font appropriate for the amount of copy. You can usually get away with using a more elaborate or decorative font for a heading than you can for your welcome message.

Consider other fonts being used. Combining fonts makes things even more complicated! When choosing fonts to be used in unison, I like to choose fonts that have an obvious contrast. For example, try a font that’s bold and chunky for headlines with a font that’s thinner for the body copy.

I know it can get a little overwhelming to choose a font. But that’s why you’ve chosen to work with the team at Integrity Marketing Solutions! Our designers will listen to your concerns and choose a font appropriate for your audience and situation.

February 09, 2015

Adding animation is a great way to really polish a website design. When done correctly and thoughtfully, it can take your viewers on a journey down the page, drawing attention to the key points and elements you don’t want anyone to miss. Animation draws the eye and adds excitement.

One of the first ways designers and developers added movements to websites was by using a program called Adobe Flash. With Flash, users add photos and graphics in different layers, and then add animations over a timeline. When the creation was complete, the resulting animation was saved as, essentially, a video file that would be embedded into the web page. This process, however, resulted in a file that was large, took a long time to load, and was (in very technical terms) clunky.

Animation in web design has come a long way in just a few years.

Today, we can move elements on the page with just a little bit of JavaScript and a few focused commands. And, in the situation that JavaScript isn’t the best solution, then we are even discovering ways to animate objects with the same code that tells the browser which fonts and colors to use. While that may not sound all that exciting, let me assure you – it is! It means that animations are now able to load faster and be more sophisticated. These new animations give so much more control, both in the design and development phase, as well as control for users viewing your site!

The best part about these newer animation techniques is that they are mobile-friendly. Mobile devices either require additional software to be able to view Flash animations or they are completely incompatible with Flash, resulting in a disappointing experience for your mobile users. The fast load times and compatibility of newer animation techniques ensure that your users will have the same journey when viewing your website on any device.

How can you tell if your site features animations created in Flash?

If the animation is only in one spot of the website (usually the banner area), or if it is replaced with a static image when you view your website on a mobile device or smartphone, then chances are good that it is an embedded Flash file.

January 28, 2015

Remember back in the day when social media was coming onto the scene and some marketers thought email was on its way out? Well, surprise surprise … email marketing is not dead! In fact, email is still one of the best ways to reach your audience as each subscriber can access email through a variety of devices (thank you smartphones). In our WiFi world, users can easily check their email in one swift swipe of a screen.

So if email is still relevant for marketing, have the rules changed?

Actually, yes. Many email standards remain unchanged, but there are some so-called rules out there about email that don’t really apply anymore. Here are a few important ones to recognize.

Email Marketing Myths:

1. Frequent emails will bother my subscribers. Not so. In fact, people sign up for countless email communications and receive messages in their inboxes daily. It’s very easy for them to forget about your business if they don’t hear from you on a regular basis. The exact frequency for sending email is different for each industry and type of business though, so just be careful. For instance, retail companies can get away with sending emails daily. They often market different sales and offers, and readers don’t seem to mind getting those messages each day (who wants to miss out on a big sale?!). Service-oriented professional businesses such as law firms and medical practices couldn’t get away with sending emails as often as retail businesses, but they still need to get in front of their readers consistently.

2. You can’t use the same subject line. This is debatable depending on the goal behind your email, but it’s not necessarily true. In fact, if a reader is signed up to receive a regular communication from you, they actually look forward to seeing that email subject line in their inbox. An example of this would be a weekly digest of your blog posts. Let’s say your subject line is “Your Weekly Blog Digest from XYZ Firm.” Each week your subscribers will see that same subject line knowing they can access all of your blog posts for the week from that one email, making it easier for them to sift through their inbox to find the information they are interested in. Typically, this works better for emails that are not sales-oriented but information-based. Using the same subject line can also work for promoting events, serving as a reminder for subscribers.

3. If subscribers aren’t opening your email the day you send it, then your email failed. If you check your email campaign report right after you send your message, you’re going to be very disappointed. And extremely misinformed! Give your email 24-36 hours before you even look at the reporting, and don’t assume that is the best result you’ll get. According to Alchemy Worx as reported in Business 2 Community, 85% of emails are opened two days after they go out. Even more interesting is that 32% of purchases (or actions) take place two weeks after the email was sent. It’s normal to feel like your subscribers must have sent your email to the trash, but don’t count them out too soon. Get back into your reporting a week or so down the road to check on open-rates and click-throughs.

These are just a few email marketing myths that are floating around, so be sure to check back with the IMS Blog for more updates on email best practices!

January 21, 2015

About a year ago, we talked about how sliders would be a declining trend in 2014. While this is true to a degree, sliders still seem to be a popular choice. I still stand by the idea that a slider is not necessarily the best option. If your website features a predominant slider, here are five reasons why you might consider replacing it:

1. Everyone has one.

If you have looked at web designs in the past few years, you’ve noticed that sliders seem to be everywhere. Indeed, they have been a pretty popular trend over the past two or three years. In the same way, now that sliders are commonplace on the web, they are no longer cutting-edge or innovative.

2. It distracts from the call to action.

Let’s say, for example, that your slider has four different slides, each leading to a different primary practice area. If your web visitors wait and watch the slider go through the entire cycle, they now have six choices of actions to take – they can go to any of your four practice areas, they can scroll down the page to view even more choices of links to follow, or they can leave. Oftentimes, that last option is the easiest. We don’t want leaving your site to be the easiest option! The most effective websites feature one primary call to action, making the viewers’ choice simple.

3. A powerful message in a desktop slider does not usually translate well on mobile screens.

I often find sliders with large, impressive images and an intense but beautifully arranged tagline mesmerizing. But imagine shrinking that down to fit on a smartphone. While it is true that smartphones are getting larger every day, the strength and impact of that large image and text do not translate the same way on a handheld device.

4. Sliders hide crucial information.

I get it. You want to make sure that your web visitors see everything you want them to. So you want to fit all of that crucial information into the top of the website. After all, what if they don’t scroll? Or click on the link you want them to? While this might make sense at first, this line of thinking is going to result in an ineffective website design.

5. Sliders are ignored.

Tests have shown that user interaction with sliders is surprisingly low. In fact, viewers have become trained to ignore them in a phenomenon known as “banner blindness.” As we spend time browsing online, our eyes get used to ignoring the flashing advertisements on the top and sides of many websites and blogs. While our Essential Attorney websites do not feature these types of ads, the motion of an automatic slider can still remind viewers’ eyes of banner ads, resulting in low user engagement with those sliders.

There are plenty of other design techniques that are more innovative and will capture your audience’s attention that can be used in place of a slider. One of my favorite substitutions for a slider is a single, beautiful photo with an impactful statement that leads directly to a powerful call to action. Think that it might be time to rethink your slider? Contact the IMS team today!

December 18, 2014

The simple answer is all of them! It is best practice to have an integrated marketing strategy that includes a good balance of owned, paid, and earned media types.

As we all know, the marketing industry is constantly changing due to advancements in technology (right now, particularly mobile). And media types are evolving due to how people are consuming information. Paid media, for example, is not what it once was. The main outlets for paid media used to focus primarily on is still a major player in paid media, but a lot of this traffic has moved online to paid search, display banners, and video ads.

Let’s take a look at what owned, paid, and earned media consists of today.

Owned Media

Owned media consists of properties that your brand controls. This may include your site, blogs, e-Newsletters and possibly some direct mailers. This is managed directly by the company which can be time consuming, but there are benefits to utilizing this type of media. For example, nearly half (46%) of people say a website’s design is their number one criterion for determining the credibility of a company (business2community). Content marketing through blogs and email campaigns appeal to today’s consumers, and it is in your brand’s best interest to incorporate video. 65% of today’s audience are visual learners, and visual data is processed 60,000 times faster by the brain than text (business2community).

Paid Media

Paid media is placed and bought, and requires an investment. Mobile has definitely changed how we approach paid media today. If a consumer owns a smartphone, and over 60% of Americans do (ABCnews), then they literally have an abundance of information at the palm of their hand. This makes contextual and “in the moment” advertising very appealing. Users want a personalized experience, not an ad that is displayed to the masses. And with all the data that is available to marketers, we can give consumers a more personalized advertising experience in their path to purchase through paid search, video advertising, paid social media, and retargeted ads.

Earned Media

Earned Media is referral based and mainly consists of engagement on social media channels. Not only has social media taken over the internet, but it has taken over the way many companies market their brand. As of January 2014, 74% of online users use social networking sites (PewResearch) and this continues to increase. With so many consumers on social media outlets, companies are doing their brands a disservice by not being present on any social media channel, particularly LinkedIn for the legal industry since it is the social network for white-collar professionals to network, and its audience is highly desirable since it is a high-income and highly educated user base (BusinessInsider). Organic social media has also in a way become the new “word of mouth” advertising with many consumers relying on Facebook posts or Pinterest pins of family members and friends as recommendations for products and services. A great way to boost your brand’s earned media is to incorporate paid social media advertising with your organic social media.

It is always best to combine parts or all of these media types when creating an effective marketing campaign. Together they can increase brand awareness and drive conversions. Contact Integrity Marketing Solutions today and request a complete review of your brand’s marketing strategies.

December 03, 2014

If your practice needs a steady stream of new clients – and we don’t know a single practice that doesn’t – you need to be engaged with potential clients on every step of the path to purchase – also known as the Customer Journey. Successfully guiding prospective clients along this journey requires a multi-channel approach that connects with clients at every important touch point along the way.

Your best prospect might not be tweeting, but they may be heavy Facebook users because that’s how they stay in touch with their grandchildren. They may not be using social media – but they compare notes with friends and family members and learn that someone read an article “somewhere” about their exact situation and had some good recommendations. It may be that this article was actually a blog post, a website page, or an email newsletter that came from your office and their friend will send it to them – and they may find themselves in your office.

We know, without a doubt, that keeping your appointment calendar filled requires an ongoing flow of compelling, relevant interactions.

That’s the topic of CEO Jennifer C. Goddard’s presentation at the Local Search Today! conference, taking place in London on December 16. Jennifer joins top executives from leading companies like Google and MakeBuzz as she explores Digital Brand Strategies for the New Customer Journey and how to make that journey end at your office door.

Not going to London? No worries! You can join Jennifer and the entire IMS team of professionals this spring at the New Strategies workshop here in Kansas City.

But that’s not all…..we want to let you in on a little secret….

Our company is gearing up for a big anniversary celebration in 2015. In preparation, we are digging into a big project – analyzing performance and user analytics from hundreds of legal websites. Much of what Jennifer is presenting in London is gleaned from these insights. We will be sharing this information with you throughout the coming year.

October 23, 2014

Does the very mention of the word "analytics" make your eyes glaze over a bit? I don't blame you if the thought of sifting through tons of numbers and metrics makes your brain hurt before you even begin. Me too, I'm with you.

So when our team had a full day of Google Analytics Bootcamp this past week to prepare for a certification exam, I was a little apprehensive to begin.

A full day of instruction, review and 90 minute exam later, I am just blown away at the information available from Google. Overwhelming? Sure. Worth it? Absolutely!

Google Analytics is a service offered by Google that generates detailed statistics about a website's traffic and traffic sources and measures conversions and sales. It's the most widely used website statistics service.

So in a nutshell, Google Analytics shows you who is interacting with your website, how they got to your site, and what they did when they got there. Good information to have, no doubt.

If you know the potential that this tool can have for your law firm, you'll start to get excited when those Marketing Performance Reports hit your email inbox each month.

Google Analytics - What You Need to Know

Know Your Audience: Everything from the location of your visitors, to the way they got to your website, to what they did when they got there is captured in Analytics. Understanding the demographics and behaviors of your audience will help you build a marketing strategy to target the audience you really want.

Know Your Traffic Sources: How are people finding you online? Knowing which traffic sources visitors are using will help you determine if you online marketing efforts are paying off and how to switch things up if not. Examples of a traffic source are an organic Google search, a social media account, or an email newsletter that brings visitors to your website.

Know Your Mobile Users: In our tech-savvy world of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, information is only a screen-swipe away from users on the go. So don't miss these stats! There could be a large population of your online visitors that are accessing your site from a mobile device, which can change how you think in terms of site design and functionality.

Know Your ROI: Determining your Return on Investment (ROI) of your online marketing dollars is key! You need to know which efforts are paying off and which ones need a boost. What good is a website if you don't even know if it's working? Diving into Analytics can give you a clear picture of the revenue generated from your marketing efforts.

There are countless other things to learn about Google Analytics. It really does take a professional team with the right certification to handle these metrics for you. Lucky for our Essential Clients, the IMS Team has four staffers and counting that are Google Analytics Certified. We've got you covered!

September 23, 2014

Did you stand in line in hopes of purchasing a new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus this past weekend? If you did, you were not alone! According to a New York Times article, Apple announced that it sold over 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices over the first weekend they were available in stores. 10 million! That’s a record-breaking number.

Whether or not you’re an Apple fan, the announcement of the iPhone 6 with a larger screen than ever indicated that all major mobile device manufacturers are now on board with the large screen trend. Reports show that mobile browsing on phones with 4” screens or smaller is already on the decline.

Time to “Design for Thumbs”

With larger screen sizes gaining popularity, it’s becoming even more important to “design for thumbs” – meaning that websites need to be built so that the most important items are within the thumb’s natural reach when holding the device.

Experts have conducted studies to determine how most people hold their phones while using them and then have created “heat maps” to show the areas where thumbs can naturally navigate items, areas where navigation is possible but a stretch, and areas that are difficult or impossible to reach quickly and easily. Take a look at the image below* for an example of the different zones on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screens.

See how the larger the screen is, the more "ow," or hard-to-reach space there is? The same basic principle applies to any phone, regardless of maker. To make your website as pain-free for your viewers as possible, and to maximize the number of clicks your "call to action" items receive, make sure these buttons are placed in the "natural" or at least in the "stretch" zone of the screen.

Put Your Website to the Test

Take a minute and pull up your firm’s website on a smartphone.

The first question to ask yourself is – “Is it responsive?”

Does your website respond and adapt to the screen it’s on for optimal viewing? Or do you have a separate mobile site, leaving viewers with less information than your full website? Or do you find yourself pinching and zooming in on the screen because your site isn’t optimized for mobile at all? If your site is responsive, congratulations! You’re off to a good start. If not, contact your IMS marketing team to learn how to optimize your website for mobile viewing.

Next question to ask – “Can I easily reach the most important items on the page?”

Think about things like the navigation icon, buttons and your phone number. Are they all easily accessible? If so – great! Anytime you come across a device with a larger screen, give it another test. If your website has some important information in hard-to-reach areas, contact your IMS marketing team. Together we’ll come up with a solution that will make sure your website is fully optimized for as many devices as possible.

Today, we'll dive into rules four, five and six of the top ten successful marketing fundamentals.

The Top Ten Estate Planning Marketing Must-Do’s: Part 2

4. Define Your BrandYour brand is really the foundation of your marketing plan. It encompasses your principles, your mission, and your unique value proposition. Note: your brand is NOT your logo or your color palette – those are merely ways in which you communicate your brand message. So before you run off to hire a designer, or hit that website where they create a logo in 15 minutes, spend some time thinking about how you want people to think about you. When our designers consult with clients about branding, these are things they discuss. It’s the designer’s job to listen and put their skills and talents to work creating visual cues that communicate your brand in the marketplace.

The fourth rule of estate planning marketing is that your brand is your foundation.

5. Be a Personal MarketerNo matter how sophisticated your marketing plan, how famous your marketing agency, or how polished your marketing materials – nothing, and I mean NOTHING, can replace your personal touch. If you sit in your office and hope the phone rings, it probably won’t. If there is one thing that your marketing cannot succeed without, it is YOU. Some people are naturals at personal marketing, you know who you are. You don’t need my advice, because you just naturally know what to do. For others, personal marketing is an acquired skill. In a short article like this, the best single piece of advice I can give is to commit to making five personal phone calls every week, and to have at least three personal conversations – voice mail does not count. Call allied professionals, talk about ways you could work together. Reach out to influencers in your area. Call your top clients. But pick up the phone and start talking.

The fifth rule of estate planning marketing is to be your own advocate.

6. Get a Great, Responsive WebsiteA great website is no longer an option. People of all ages have become accustomed to finding and qualifying (or disqualifying) services on the internet. Your website is not only your first impression, if you don’t do this right, it will be your last. And because so many of your prospective clients and referral sources will be searching for you from a mobile device, your website needs to be responsive. Responsive websites are designed to reformat themselves (mathematically) to deliver the best experience on every device, regardless of screen size. You need this. You just do. No arguments.

The sixth rule of estate planning marketing is to get a great, responsive website.